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This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science, wondering: When speaking, why do people use short words more than long ones? Seven decades ago, Harvard scholar George Zipf argued it's simply because short words are easier to say.

But if that were true, you'd never say "kindergarten" or "electricity," and we'd all talk like Scrabble players. Li: Chinese currency. Ae: Hawaiian lava.

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About The Loh Down On Science

The Loh Down on Science is the fun way to get your daily dose of science in less than two minutes. The program explains the world of science with a dash of humor. Hosted by writer/performer and Caltech alumna Sandra Tsing Loh, it's a program for those who love science as well as for those who avoid it!